The Best Binoculars & Spotting Scopes for World Birding - A Review

Binoculars

If you're considering new binoculars, there are more interesting options than
ever before. The table below summarizes significant features of the cream of the
current crop and includes deep links to the manufacturers' specification pages
and to Binoculars.com, an online dealer. Binoculars may vary significantly from
the published specs. Thus, for example,
Twentse
Vogelwerkgroep, a site with detailed binoculars reviews, measured close
focus of
2.30m on Leica 10x42BR Ultravids and just
1.85m on Swarovski 8x32 ELs.

I have been using the superb Swarovski EL 8x32s since their introduction in
2003. In December 2004, Zeiss introduced the Victory 32 FL binoculars. The
Victory 32FLs are lighter than the Swarovski 32ELs, with comparable close focus
and longer eye relief, especially in the 10x32FL. In November 2004, Leica
introduced the Ultravid 32s, one of which (8x32) is as light as the comparable
Zeiss 32FL, but which lack the long eye relief of the Zeiss and Swarovski 32s.

Zeiss Victory binoculars with the updated product numbers shown above come
with superior
LotuTec coatings (Carat Advantage in the U.S.), introduced in late 2006 or
early 2007.

The Swarovski EL 8x32 binoculars, introduced in 2003, represented the most
significant advance in birding optics since Leica brought out the 8x32 BAs in
1992 and, in my personal experience (not having used the Zeiss 32s or Leica
Ultravid 32s), are the finest birding binoculars produced to date. The EL 8x32s
surpass the Leica 32 BNs in every respect. The Swarovskis are lighter, focus
closer, and have longer eye relief than the Leicas, and their optical quality
and ergonomics are superb. Furthermore, their short focusing capability obviates
the need separate butterfly binoculars.

40/42 binoculars are inherently brighter than 32s and arguably provide better
all-around performance, at least in the store. In the field, however, you will
find the Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica 32s much easier to use than any 40/42 or the
heavy Nikon 32s, particularly if you sometimes hold your binoculars with one
hand (e.g., when tape recording). Moreover, heavy binoculars are known to have
caused serious spinal problems in some people. Furthermore, of the available
40/42 binoculars, only the new Zeiss Victory 42FLs focus as close as the
Swarovski, Zeiss and Leica 32s.

Having lived with the Swaro EL 8x32s for awhile, I would never go back to
binoculars with a longer short focus. I have seen hundreds of birds over the
years that came into view too close to see through older Zeiss Dialyt 10x40 bins
that could have been viewed through the 8x32 ELs. For example, with the EL
8x32s, I would have been able to focus on the Friendly Warbler that came in for
a look at my boots on Mt. Kinabalu or the Sulawesi Ground-Dove that I nearly ran
over while carrying a venomous snake back to camp for photos. Indeed, even when
watching winter sparrow flocks, Winter Wren, and Hermit Thrush in the backyard,
birds frequently approach closer than the near focus of most quality binoculars,
but can be followed all the way in with the Swaro 8x32s.

The most interesting larger binoculars are the new, short-focusing Zeiss
Victory 42FLs (fluorite), available in 7x, 8x & 10x models. The FL 10x42s are
70g heavier than the leather covered (BL) Leica
Ultravid 10x42s, but focus to 2m, 0.95m closer than the Ultravids. Wearing
765g bins isn't particularly appealing after a few days with the 610g Swarovski
EL 8x32s, but there are no lighter binoculars combining the brightness of a 42
with true close focusing ability than the 42FLs. The BL Ultravids, which weigh
only 695g, might be a good choice for pelagic birding, where close focusing is
not important, if the leather covering can stand up to repeated salt water
exposure. With the alternatives available today, however, a short focus of 2.95m
is simply too long for land birding.

High quality binoculars hold their values well and can be sold easily through
Winging It classifieds or eBay. Like fine bird books, they are better
investments than many of the stocks and mutual funds touted by Wall Street
firms, or flashy new cars that depreciate as they sit in your driveway. Indeed,
I think any serious birder should consider buying several pairs for specialized
purposes, for example, Swaro EL 8x32 for all-around use, Zeiss 42FL 10x42 for
use on trips where a scope is not available, and Leica Ultravid BL 10x42 for use
on pelagic trips.

Only Zeiss among the leading brands offers a life of binoculars, transferable
warranty in the US.
Leica,
Swarovski and Nikon limit their US warranties to the original purchaser. For
many birders, the Leica and Swarovski international warranties -- 5 years parts
& labor, 30 years parts -- would be preferable, since they are transferable and
defined in time and not by a person's life. (Will you be using the same bins in
15 years? 10 years? Next year?) Leica's US warranty covers some instances of
owner incompetence, such as dropping, driving over, and deep submersion, but not
fire or theft. Coverage of accidental damage probably is more important in
respect of scopes than binoculars, as scopes frequently topple over.

The first thing you should do after acquiring new binoculars is to shorten
the strap so that you can just barely get it over your head. Any extra play in
the strap will result in lost time -- and sometimes lost birds -- when you raise
your bins, and floppy binoculars when walking or running. Some wide straps that
come with binoculars, such as Leica's, cannot be shortened sufficiently and
should be replaced. Swarovski's wide strap, on the other hand, has a sufficient
range of adjustment to suit anyone. After adjusting the strap, trim off any
excess, stitch a fold at the loose end with button thread, and melt the end with
a soldering iron to prevent unraveling.

While the vast majority of binoculars are now made by Japanese companies, the
Japanese have thus far been unable or unwilling to market a product comparable
to the top German models. The latest expensive bins from Japan Incorporated are
the Bushnell Elite 8x43 and 10x43. (Bushnell failed to renew their 30-year
license of the Bausch & Lomb name, which they devalued to the point of
uselessness by placing it on mediocre products.) The Elites appear to be
alternative-branded versions of the cheaper Pentax DCP SP binoculars. They look
superficially like Swaro ELs, are extremely light (only 23/24 oz) thanks to a
magnesium chassis, and offer very long eye relief (17.3/19.4mm). Close focus (9
feet) is too long by current industry standards and considerably longer than on
the former B&L Elites or the similar Pentax bins.

The Zeiss DC4 Camera-Eyepiece for Diascope spotting
scopes is an all-in-one solution for digiscoping. It features a
built-in 4 MP camera that takes standard batteries and has USB
and video ports and an SD card, together with an eyepiece that
magnifies to 30x on the Diascope 65 and to 40x on the Diascope
85. Camera setup and "shutter release" are by wireless remote
control.
Details. [To use Zeiss scopes with the Arca-Swiss quick
release system, get the
Really Right Stuff B76 fore-aft lens plate.]

A spotting scope is not essential for foreign trips, but it certainly is
helpful if somebody carries one throughout a trip. I love my Questar scope, but
wouldn't recommend it for most foreign birding trips, as it's neither waterproof
nor dustproof, and it may be difficult to use if you're not an experienced
Questar owner. No straight spotting scope compares in optical quality to the
Questar or offers the Questar's ability to toggle back and forth between a
finder scope and 40x main scope, or the Questar's exceptionally long eye relief
(32mm eyepiece only), which allows a full field of view even with clip-on
sunglasses over eyeglasses.

I prefer fixed eyepieces of 25x or less, except on the Questar, which unlike
straight scopes has a built-in 8.5x finder scope. (Don't even consider getting
Questar's standard 3x finder scope.) It's often quite difficult to find birds
with a 30x scope. Furthermore, zoom eyepieces always have been inferior in
optical quality to fixed power eyepieces and in addition are heavier and usually
offer less eye relief. IMHO, the availability of higher powers isn't worth the
considerable loss of sharpness and brightness at the power most often used,
which is 20x on a 20x-60x zoom. While I haven't had much success finding birds
in 45-degree angle scopes, Ben Cacace points out that they can be handy when
used by a group of people of varying heights.

60mm to 65mm scopes are lighter and thus easier to pack and carry than 80mm
to 85mm scopes. I haven't used one that I prefer to the bright and durable B&L
Balscope Sr. (discontinued in 1975 when B&L sold their optical business to
Bushnell), but the new Zeiss and Swarovski 65mm scopes and the Leica 62mm scopes
have been very favorably reviewed. The fixed eyepiece that yields 30x on the
85mm Zeiss Diascope yields a more useful 23x on the 65mm Diascope. If shopping
for a replacement for the Balscope Sr. with 20x eyepiece, I would look first at
the Zeiss Diascope 65. However, if you prefer a zoom eyepiece, the latest
version of the Leica zoom eyepiece has longer eye relief throughout its range
than the zoom eyepieces offered by Zeiss and Swarovski.

There have been two reports on BirdChat by birders who purchased the graphite
Kowa scope, only to have the eyepiece break off when the scope fell on a hard
surface. Unless and until graphite scopes can be made more rugged, it seems
advisable to avoid them.

The world's finest tripods probably are the lightweight but very rigid
Linhof tripods. The
003450 Profi-Port II (1800g) and older
003449 Profi-Port (2000g) are extremely compact and fit in the Questar case.
Questar dealer Larry Balch
(Attour) will set them up with a custom carrying strap and remote focusing
and scope toggling contraptions. The non-portable 2-section Linhof tripod
suitable for use with the Questar is
Lightweight Pro Tripod 003319 (2000g, no longer available). The similar
3-section
Lightweight Pro Tripod 003414 (2400 g) works well with straight scopes and
can raise the scope to eye level for those taller than 6'4". The
Linhof Precision Panhead with spring balance 003639 (490g, no longer
available) is an excellent choice for use with scopes. The spring in 003639 is
completely enclosed inside the panhead. Avoid the pre-1983 model with external
spring (003640), as it is subject to premature failure. Used Linhof tripods and
panheads appear frequently on eBay. The linked Linhof photos were copied from
eBay auctions.

Graphite tripods are not recommended because of the possibility of breakage
during hard use.